Dispensing cabinet



Jun 2, 1942. A. E. ROZIN ETAL. I 2,285,055

DISBENS ING' CABINET Filed Aug. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 INVENTOR.

ARTHUR E. Rozm any R. Rozm H WQWM ATTORNEY June 2, 1942. E, ROZIN rpm. nIsPENsIfie' CABINET Filed Aug. 19, 1940' ZSheets-Sheet 2 R m My m n V m n n TR n H W d 1 A'rro mEY Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED 'STATES'PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CABINET Arthur E. Rozin and Harry R. Itozirr,

Cincinnati, Ohio Application August 19, 1940, Serial No. 353,230 13 Claims. (01. 312-50) This invention relates to a dispensing cabinet for dispensing tissue paper articlesparticularly toilet seat covers.

In the past dispensing cabinets have been employed which were either of the mechanical I dispensing type or allowed the articles to hang in the air without protection of any kind. Also, with most dispensing cabinets as heretofore employed-no means were provided to insure the dispensing of a single article, but frequently dispensed more than one article and thereby resulting in waste of the other articles or else the toilet seat covers were damaged while being obtained and therefore unfit for use. With the cabinet of the present invention all of these difliculties are overcome and a cabinet is provided without the use of a mechanical dispenser and insuring each article being undamaged and ready for use.

It is therefore one of the chief objects of this invention to provide a dispensing cabinet, that is extremely simple in its construction and operation, and yet highly efficient in use.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a dispensing cabinet for toilet seat covers which definitely separates the flaps from the bodies of the covers so that the said flaps of superimposed covers do not interfere with the other covers in the removal of the uppermost cover.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing cabinet that can be readily filled and refilled with a minimum of 'effort and in which the body portions and fiaps of the superimposed covers are readily separated from one another and retained in their separated positions. L

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims; without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention. I

In the drawings:' Y

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a dispensing cabinet embodying the improvements of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the cabinet taken on line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet taken on line 3-3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a part of the cabinet back as seen from'line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a modified cabinet with the front removed.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the cabinet taken on 'line 6-6 on Fig. 5.

'Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet taken on line 1-1 on Figs. 5 and 6.

Throughout-the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above this invention pertains to a cabinet for dispensing tissue paper articles, particularly tissue paper covers for toilet seats. As shown in phantom lines on Fig. 5 such a cover is formed of a substantially rectangular sheet having a top edge l0, side edges H and I2 and a bottom edge I3. Intermediate the said edges the body portion is provided with an elliptical cut I4 to provide a central flap 15. The upper edge of the flap I5 is uncut thereby providing a hinge at [6 for the flap l5. In order to support the covers they are provided near the top edge ID with a pair of apertures H. The covers are manufactured in stacks and shipped tothe user in bundles ranging from one hundred to one thousand covers in each stack.

The dispensing cabinet as shownin Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, comprises the cabinet proper formed of a single sheet of material, preferably metal, which is bent to provide a top 18, a bottom l9 and sides 20 and 2|, Connecting the lower ends of said flanges is the bottom 22. Just belowthe top l8, the bottom 22 is provided with a pair of piercing to provide lugs 24 which are bent at right angles to the bottom 22 as shown in Fig. 2. These hook shape lugs 24 are spaced from one another a distance substantially equal to the cover perforations l1 and are adapted to be inserted through said perforations for supporting the covers within the cabinet as illustrated in phantom lines in Fig. 2.

Near the lower end of the cabinet back 22 and located just above the lower end of the cover flap IS, the said back 22 is cut or pierced at 25, 26 and 21 thereby providing 'a' strip of material 28 free of the back 22 except at its lower end where it is connected as at 29, to said back 22. This strip of material is bent inwardly of the cabinet along the line of attachment 29 with said back thereby providing a pocket 30 between itself and the back 22 of the cabinet.

The free end of the cabinet top l8 and sides 20 and 2| are bent outwardly to provide flanges 3| 32 and 33 respectively. The free end of the cabinet bottom I9 is bent inwardly to provide a flange 34 and which flange more or less overlaps the cabinet to provide a front for the lower ends of the covers as will be readily apparent from Fig. 2. The outwardly disposed flanges 3!, 32 and 33 provide means for removably attaching a cabinet front thereto.

The cabinet front, indicated in general by reference numeral 35, is formed of a sheet of material slightly greater in area than the area of the cabinet proper and has its upper end turned downwardly and outwardly to provide a flange as at 36 and as its opposite vertically edges similarly treated to provide flanges 31 and 38. The lower end of said cabinet front is merely turned on itself for strength and rigidity purposes.

In normal operation the cabinet flanges 32 and 33 act as guides and are received in guide ways provided by the cabinet front flanges 31 and 38 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. From this con struction it will be readily appreciated that the front 35 may be vertically slid relatively to the guide flanges 32 and 33 for the purpose of fully exposing the interior of the cabinet proper. The downward vertical movement of the front 35 is limited by the engagement of the front top flange 36 with the cabinet top flange 3! all as clearly illustrated as in Fig, 2.

Just below its upper edge the cabinet front 35 is provided with an opening 39 the upper edge of which opening is bent to provide hinge lugs 45. In alignment with the hinge lugs 40 are the complementary hinge lugs 4| of hingedly mounted lid 42 which normally covers the opening 39. In order to operatively connect the hinge lugs 43 and 4| use is made of a hinge pin 43 simultaneously extending through aligned apertures in the said hinge lugs 45 and 4|. The lower end of the lid 42 is bent outwardly and then downwardly to provide a lip or finger piece 44 whereby the said lid may be readily grasped and raised about the hinge pin 43 in order that access to the interior of the cabinet may be obtained through the front opening 39.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

The front 35 is removed from the cabinet proper by vertically shifting same relative to the flanges 32 and 33. A stack of covers is then placed on the supporting hooks 24 and the flaps l thereof disposed in the pocket 30 behind the metal strip 28 and with the body portions of said covers lying against the inner surface of the cabinet back 22 and with the portion of the cover bodies around the lower end of the flaps l5 disposed on the upper surface of the pocket forming strip 28. This arrangement of the covers within the cabinet is clearly disclosed in Fig. 2 in phantom lines and illustrates theflaps as hanging substantially vertically of the cabinet and with the body portions of said covers against the cabinet back down to the hinge connection I6 where said body portions bend outwardly to the pocket strip 28 and then follow the surface of said pocket strip to the cabinet bottom l9. This arrangement definitely and positively separates the cover flaps from cover body portions so that there is deflnitely no interference between these parts when it is desired to remove the uppermost cover from the stack.

The user when desiring to obtain a cover engages, with one hand, the lid finger piece 44 for raising the lid from the solid line position to the dotted line position 45 thereof, in Fig. 2, to expose the interior of the cabinet. With his other hand the user contacts the uppermost cover and by a slight downward pressure tears same from the supporting hooks 24 and removes the cover from the cabinet through its front opening 39. The user has obtained one and only one cover because the separation of the flaps from the body portions of the covers definitely prevents any interengagement of the uppermost cover with those located therebeneath a condition which invariably resulted from structures heretofore employed.

In the modification of the cabinet shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 a considerably deeper cabinet is provided and the pocket for the cover flaps i5 is formed by means of a supplemental part instead of stamping same from the cabinet back. Specifically, this structure comprises a cabinet having top 45, bottom 47 and sides 48 and 49. The inner ends of the top, bottom and sides are intogral with and upstanding from the back and the other ends of these parts are provided with flanges 5|, 52, 53 and 54 each for the same purpose as the corresponding flanges 3; to 34 inclusive above described.

Disposed within the cabinet is a false bottom 55 which is spaced above the bottom 56 a short distance and is arranged to provide a pocket 56 between said false and normal bottoms. This pocket 55 is provided by forming the false bottom 55 from a single sheet of metal and piercing same to provide a central opening 5'! with the material of said opening bent inwardly at three sides and thereby providing the attaching and spacing flanges 5B, 59, and located respectively at the upper and opposite sides of the opening 5! as seen in Fig. 5. At the inner ends of these spacing and attaching members 58, 59 and 60 there is provided a flange 6| which contacts the bottom 50 of the cabinet and affords means whereby the false bottom is spot welded to the normal bottom 50 of the cabinet. The remaining portion of the material cut from the opening 51 is bent on itself to strengthen the lower end of the opening 51 as illustrated at 62 in Fig. 6. To further secure the false bottom 55 in position the sides thereof are upset to provide flanges 63 which lie against the inner surfaces of the cabinet top 46, bottom 41 and sides 48 and 49 and again afford means for spot welding these parts to one another.

Just below the cabinet top 46 the false bottom 55 is provided with a pair of hooks 64 and 65 which are secured in any suitable manner such as by the lock nuts 66. The hooks 64 and 65 are spaced from one another the same distance as hooks 24, above described, and the same distance apart as are the cover apertures ll whereby the said hooks are employed for suspending the covers within the cabinet.

The front 35, above described, is employed with this modified cabinet and is vertically movable on the flanges 53 and 54 with the flange 5| as the limiting factor in the downward shifting thereof.

The operation of this modified cabinet is identical with that above with the stack of covers suspended from the hooks 64 and 65 with their body portion lying against the outer surface of the false bottom 55 and their tabs I5 pushed rearwardly through the opening 51 in said false bottom and the ends thereof within the pocket 56. It will therefore be readily seen that the body portions of the stack of covers are separated from their tabs and when the user desires a cover he,

01;. out I UH :0, uriLHliLl with one hand, raises the lid 42 and with his other hand engages the uppermost cover withdrawing same through the cabinet front opening 39.

6. In a dispensing mechanism of the class described the combination of a cabinet, suspension hooks within said cabinet adapted to support a plurality of toilet seat covers, each toilet seat From the forgoing it will be appreciated that 5 cover having a flap within the border of the cover, there has been provided a dispensing cabinet for means within the cabinet and spaced above the tissue paper toilet seat covers which economically bottom for forming a pocket above said bottom dispenses, that is, one at a time, such covers for receiving the free ends of the flaps and elevatwithout the use of mechanical dispensing meching the body portions of the covers above said anism such as was employed in applicants preflaps, a removable front for said cabinet having vious Patent 2,114,081 which was issued April an opening therein. through which the covers may 12, 1938. be individually obtained from the cabinet, and a What is claimed is: lid hingedly connected to one side of said front 1. In a dispensing mechanism of the class deopening for normally closing said front opening. scribed the combination of a cabinet, a remova- I5 7. In a dispens g mechanism of the class deble front for the cabinet, means within said cabscribed the combination of a cabinet having a inet adapted to support a plurality of toilet seat back, a top, bottom and sides projecting from covers, each of said covers having a flap intersaid back, outwardly disposed flanges at the free mediate its border, means within said cabinet ends of said top and sides, means projecting from for separating the flaps from the body portions said bottom for supporting a plurality of superof said covers, and said cabinet front having an imposed toilet seat covers, a removable front havopening through which said covers may be ining channels formed at its top and side edges for dividually obtained. receiving the top and side flanges of the cabinet 2. In a dispensing mechanism of the class defor guiding and mounting the front on the cabiscribed the combination of a cabinet, a removanet to permit access thereto for replacement of bio front for the cabinet, means within said cabsaid covers, and means inwardly projecting from inet adapted to support a plurality of toilet seat the cabinet back to form a pocket to receive the covers, each of said covers having a flap intermecover tabs and separate the said tabs from the diate its border, means within said cabinet for cover body portions. separating the flaps from the body portions of In a dihehsing mechanism of t Class 1 said covers, said cabinet front having an openscribed the combination of a cabinet having a ing through which said covers may be individuh a op bOttOm and Sides projecting from ally obtained, and a lid hingedly connected to said back, outwardly disposed flanges at the free said cabinet front for closing the opening e ds of said o d s d s. means p o ct fro therein. said bottom for supporting a plurality of super- 3. In a dispensing mechanism of th la d imposed toilet seat covers, a removable front scribed a cabinet having an open front, suspenhavingchannels formed at its top and side edges sion hooks within said cabinet adapted to supfo ceiv g t p and s e flanges 0f the ort a plurality of superimposed toilet seat covin t f u d and u t n th f t on the ers, each toilet seat cover having intermediate its cabinet to permit access thereto for rep t border a flap, means associated with said cabinet S Covers, Said remOVable from having an underlying the body portions of the covers for Open ng through W c the Covers y be indiseparating same from the flaps, and a removable vidually Obtained, and a lid hingedly Connected front for closing said cabinet open front whereto One Edge Of Said from? Opening O n r a ly by the covers are replaced within the cabinet and Closing Said p said removable front having an opening there- III a dispensing mechanism of the Class d in for obtaining the covers individually from the scribed the combination f a Cabinet having a cabinet. back, a top, bottom and sides projecting from 4. In a dispensing mechanism f the @1355 d said back, outwardly disposed flanges at the free scribed a cabinet having an open front, suspenends of said top and sides, means projecting from sion hooks within said cabinet adapted to sup- S bottom Supporting a plurality 0f p port a plurality of superimposed toilet t, imposed toilet seat covers, a removable front havers, each toilet seat cover having intermediate its ihg Channels formed at its top and Side edges border a flap, means associated with said eabifor receiving the top and side flanges 05 the net underlying the body portions of the covers inet for guiding and mounting the from? on the separating same from t flap a removable cabinet to permit access thereto for replacement front for closing said cabinet open front whereby of Said Covers Said remomhle from? having an t covers are replaced within t cabinet and opening through which the cover may be indi- Said removable m having an Opening therein vidually obtained, a lid hingedly connected to one for obtaining the covers individually from the edge of i from; Opening f normally hlosihg cabinet, and a hingedly mounted lid for closing Said Ohehlhgi and means mwal'dly Pm-lectihg the removable front opening. from the cabinet back to form a pocket to re- 5 I dispensing mechanism f th class ceive the cover tabs and separate the said tabs scribed the combination of a cabinet, suspension from the body Portionshooks within said cabinet and adapted to sup- (i5 In a dispensing mechanism the combing port a plurality of toilet seat covers, each toilet hhh of a cabin having a back a false back seat cover having a flap within the border of the above the Cabinet hack suspension hooks cover, means within the cabinet and spaced above J' from Said false hack adapted to Support th tt m for forming a pocket, above said ta plurality of superimposed toilet seat covers, tom for receiving the free ends of the flaps and 7 each cover ha ng a ap ter ts border, elevating the body portions of the covers above said false back having an opening h n w h said flaps, and a removable front for said cabis lower edge above the free ends 0f the p net having an opening therein through which thereby providing a pocket between the false and the covers are individually obtained from the actual cabinet backs within which the free ends cabinet. of the flaps may be disposed and said false back adapted to support the body portions of the covers above the free ends of the flaps and whereby to separate said body portions and flaps, and a front for the cabinet having an opening therein through which the covers may be individually obtained.

11. In a dispensing mechanism the combination of a cabinet having a back, a false back above the cabinet back, suspension hooks projecting from said false back adapted to support a plurality of superimposed toilet seat covers, each cover having a flap intermediate its border, said false back having an opening therein with its lower edge above the free ends of the flaps thereby providing a pocket between the false and actual cabinet backs within which the free ends of the flaps are disposed, and said false back adapted to support the body portions of the covers above the free ends of the flaps and thereby separating said body portions and flaps, a front for the cabinet having an opening therein through which the covers may be individually obtained, and means for normally closing the opening in said front.

12. In a dispensing mechanism the combination of a cabinet having a back, a false back above the cabinet back, suspension hooks projecting from said false back adapted to support a plurality of superimposed toilet seat covers, each cover having a flap intermediate its border, said false back having an opening therein with its lower edge above the free ends of the flaps thereby providing a pocket between the false and actual cabinet backs within which the free end of the flaps are disposed, and said false back adapted to support the body portions of the covers above the free ends of the flaps and thereby separating said body portions and flaps, a front for the cabinet having an opening therein through which the covers may be individually obtained. means for normally closing the opening in said front. and cooperating means on said cabinet and front whereby the front, may be removed to permit access to the cabinet for replacement of the covers therein.

13. In a dispensing mechanism the combination of a cabinet having a back, a false back above the cabinet back, suspension hooks projecting from said false back adapted to support a plurality of superimposed toilet seat covers. each cover having a flap intermediate its border. said false back having an opening therein with its lower edge above the free ends of the flaps thereby providing a pocket between the false and actual cabinet backs within which the free ends of the flaps are disposed, and said false back adapted to support the body portions of the covers above the free ends of the flaps and thereby separating said body portions and flaps, a front for the cabinet having an opening therein through which the covers may be individually obtained, means for normally closing the opening in said front, and cooperating means on said cabinet and front whereby the front is removable to permit access to the cabinet for replacement on the covers therein, comprising guide forming flanges on the cabinet; and guide-way forming flanges on the cover receiving the cabinet guide flanges.

ARTHUR E. ROZIN. HARRY R. ROZIN. 

